Org. Setting and Reporting

The International Trade Centre (ITC) mandate is: "Transforming trade. Changing lives." By enabling trade-led economic development, especially in the Global South, ITC enables small businesses to reach their potential and strengthens ecosystems for long-term impact. Within the International Trade Centre, the Institutions and Ecosystems Section (IE) of the Division of Enterprise Competitiveness and Institutions (DECI) provides solutions to Business Support Organizations (BSOs) in developing countries and economies in transition. BSOs include trade promotion organizations, investment promotion agencies, chambers, sector associations, women’s associations, co-operatives, business councils and regional apex bodies, quality associations, technical and vocational education training bodies (TVETS) etc. The focus is on improving managerial and operational capacity, to ensure that these organizations and the ecosystem of business support provide highly effective services to people and businesses seeking to benefit from international trade and global value chains. Business support ecosystems are a core service area for ITC and considered to be strategically critical to sustained and system wide impact. High performing BSOs act as multipliers for ITC projects. As delivery partners as well as beneficiaries they improve reach, scale and sustainability of projects, and transfer knowledge and capacity to local actors for lasting impact.

Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the Director, DECI and the overall guidance of the Deputy Executive Director, the Chief will be responsible for the following duties: Managerial duties and responsibilities

Lead and mentor the DECI/IE team to define the role, organization and functions of business support organizations in the public and private sectors with a special emphasis on capacity building and cost-effective services.
Oversee programmatic/administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of the section, including preparation of budgets, assigning and monitoring performance parameters and critical indicators, reporting on budget/programme performance, preparation of inputs for results-based budgeting, evaluation of staff performance.
Forge and develop strategic alliances and foster the development of mutually beneficial network relationships with private and public sector partners including donors, technical agencies, private sector foundations, multinationals and non-governmental organizations.
Foster teamwork and communication among staff in the section and across organizational boundaries to ensure resources are harnessed to meet BSO needs.
Advocate and promote ITC’s portfolio of BSO strengthening services ensuring relevancy to key stakeholders. Technical duties and responsibilities
Represent ITC at inter-agency meetings, seminars, etc. on substantive-related issues.
Participate in international, regional or national meetings and provide programmatic/substantive expertise on an issue or hold programmatic/substantive and organizational discussions with representatives of other institutions.
Build and provide technical expertise to national, regional and international networks of intermediary, distributor and multiplier BSOs through the provision of capacity building and advisory programmes.
Oversee the design, development and delivery of new products and services, in support of the above, including needs and performance assessment tools, training programmes, and BSO and ecosystem creation/restructuring services.
Develop ITC's profile as a centre of excellence in BSO capacity building by contributing to the identification, documentation, dissemination and implementation of "best practice". Including supervising work in the area of benchmarking, research, information collection, drafting of publications, organizing conferences and direct interaction with business support network partners.
Diversify the range of BSOs supported by ITC, including specialist BSOs offering skills development (TVETS) or economic pathways the vulnerable or underserved (e.g. women, youth, those with disabilities, displaced people, indigenous people etc)
Establish ITC as a pre-eminent authority on systems designed to measure the impact on enterprises of the policies and activities of BSOs.
Perform other duties as required.

Competencies

Professionalism: Knowledge of the business environment shaping the development of exporting SMEs and the scope for intervention by business support organizations to enable the growth and sustainability of exporting SMEs. Thorough knowledge of organizational strategies, functions, structures, processes, issues and trends. Understanding of BSO managerial and operational practices and specific challenges. Ability to identify BSO needs and translate them into improvement solutions based on ITC’s priorities and competency areas, strategic objectives and comparative advantages. Ability to establish clear objectives, monitoring and evaluation competencies. Knowledge of key issues in organizational capacity building and the interface with trade development programmes, including ongoing developments shaping the international trading system. Ability to analyse and interpret national trade issues, performance and trends, relevant statistical data and other information to draw objective conclusions and make practical recommendations. Awareness of bilateral, regional, multilateral and intergovernmental organizations concerned with trade and development and their modes of operation. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter. Is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results. Is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges. Remains calm in stressful situations.

Accountability: Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honours commitments; delivers outputs for which one has responsibility within prescribed time, cost and quality standards; operates in compliance with organizational regulations and rules; supports subordinates, provides oversight and takes responsibility for delegated assignments; takes personal responsibility for his/her own shortcomings and those of the work unit, where applicable.
Client Orientation: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view; establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.
Leadership: Serves as a role model that other people want to follow. Empowers others to translate vision into results. Is proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives; establishes and maintains relationships with a broad range of people to understand needs and gain support. Anticipates and resolves conflicts by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions; drives for change and improvements. Does not accept the status quo; shows the courage to take unpopular stands. Provides leadership and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work; demonstrates knowledge of strategies and commitment to the goal of gender balance in staffing.
Vision: Identifies strategic issues, opportunities and risks; clearly communicates links between the Organization’s strategy and the work unit’s goals; generates and communicates broad and compelling organizational direction, inspiring others to pursue that same direction; conveys enthusiasm about future possibilities.

Education

Advanced university degree (Masters or equivalent) in Management, Business Administration, Public Administration, or related subject such as International Development, Economics, Organizational Development. A first-level university degree in the above subjects may be accepted with an additional two years of relevant professional work experience.

Work Experience

A minimum of 10 years (12 years with a first level university degree) relevant professional experience is required. Senior management and advisory experience in a proven leadership role in or with recognized trade and investment support organizations or equivalent business support organization, including TVETs is required. Experience in high-level organizational representation is required. Experience in managing, providing advice and capacity building for business support organizations in different countries and across different cultural backgrounds is required. Experience in designing and leading complex projects/programmes and managing a cross-cultural team is required. Advisory experience and wide networks within ecosystems related to SME competitiveness, entrepreneurship, TVET and/or innovation is required. Experience with change management processes, in particular integration of digital technology and AI is desirable.

Languages

Language	Reading	Writing	Listening	Speaking
English	UN Level III	UN Level III	UN Level III	UN Level III

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which will be followed by competency-based interview.

Special Notice

The conditions of service are governed by the United Nations Staff Rules and Regulations. This is a fixed term appointment for an initial period of one (1) year. ITC champions workforce diversity, inclusion, gender equality and gender parity and considers all qualified persons - of all genders - equally, including those with disabilities, without discrimination or prejudice of any kind. ITC also offers attractive flexible work arrangements to help promote a healthy work/life balance and to allow all staff members to express and develop their talents fully. If you are unable to complete our online application form due to a disability, please send an email to hrs-jobs@intracen.org. Applications from women and nationalities from developing and least developing countries are particularly encouraged to apply. Applicants will be contacted only if they are under serious consideration. For information on salary and entitlements, please consult the International Civil Service Commission website: http://icsc.un.org THE USE OF AI AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS IS PROHIBITED AND ITS USE MAY RESULT IN DISQUALIFICATION.

United Nations Considerations

In accordance with the United Nations Staff Regulations and Rules, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with ITC if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment. Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, Inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on "Manuals" hyper-link on the upper right side of the Inspira account-holder homepage. The evaluation of applicants will be conducted based on the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances, and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in Inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision, or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application. Job openings advertised in Inspira will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee

ITC does NOT charge any fees or request money from candidates at any stage of the recruitment process, nor does it concern itself with bank account details of applicants. Requests of this nature allegedly made on behalf of ITC are fraudulent and should be disregarded.

Chef of Section, Institutions and Ecosystems (IE), DECI/IE